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August 29, 2016

Interning at Show Me Your Mumu Part I

This dress, designed and manufactured by Show Me Your Mumu (Mu), is the perfect transition piece from summer to fall. While at the Mu headquarters in downtown Los Angeles this summer, I truly learned to appreciate the effort that goes into designing beautiful patterns, such as the one used for this dress. Regarding my summer experience, some of you have asked about the internship process. Here are a few good tips from my experience.

First, research companies that are in the industry you wish to learn more about and you think would be awesome to work with. Brainstorm with friends, family, and colleagues to think of companies that you otherwise might miss. Select two or three and concentrate on those top choices. Next, looking over your skills, prepare a résumé using action verbs. Have a trusted individual proof edit the document and help you use the best words to describe your skills and accomplishments. Then write a brief cover letter that highlights how your skills would benefit the company. Remember, the way to market yourself is to show the company executives how your qualifications would be an asset for their business. Be sure not to exaggerate on the résumé or the cover letter; you’ll be asked to perform whatever you said you're proficient at doing. Last, take your time completing the online application in detail, submitting in the fall for a summer internship. That’s right--for many companies, you submit applications now through early December for next summer.

In my search for the perfect internship in the United States, I completed applications for two companies with one in the Northeast and one on the West Coast. One graciously declined stating they were looking for individuals who were either already working in their retail stores or who were blogging/buying their designs regularly. They indicated that their brand is a lifestyle, and they had chosen someone who worked for the company. The second said I was exactly what they were looking for--outstanding work ethic shown through excellent academics and work experience, strong computer skills in Adobe Creative Suite, Google Applications, and Microsoft Office, and proven marketing knowledge with creating content on social media, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

The applying process for Show Me Your Mumu for me included an email exchange and Skype interview after I sent them my email on intent that included my cover letter, résumé, design portfolio, and blog. After the email of my intent, I received an email from them confirming a mutual interest, so we scheduled a Skype interview. I was interviewed midmorning by MK, who any Mu super fan would recognize if they follow Show Me Your Mumu on Instagram. The interview lasted about 20 to 30 minutes. Questions included but were not limited to, "How did you find out about Show Me Your Mumu?", "What interested you in interning for the company?", "What are you hoping to get out of an internship at Mumu HQ?", "What department are you hoping to work in the most and why?", "Are you able to live in LA all summer?", "Are you able to provide your own transportation to and from work each day?", and "What are you hoping to learn and take away from the experience?"

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All photographs are owned by me and my photographers unless otherwise stated. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. If you see any photos here without correct sources, please let me know and I will happily correct it. Likewise, if you wish to use any of my photos, I'd appreciate it if you would properly credit back to my original post. ❤